Propeller



W. H. LElNWEBER.

PROPELLERi APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1918.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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. LEINWEBER.

PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

1,401,992,, Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

Patented Jam 3,1922.

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' WILLIAM E. LEINWEBEB, 0] CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY DIRECT AND ASSIGNMENTS, TO CONTINENTAL AIR CRAFT dc TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, IIJJNOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

PROPELLM Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 3, 1922..

Application filed June M, 1918. Serial No. 289,188.

To all whom it may concern."

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM H. LEIN- WEBER, a citizen of the United States, and a reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1, is a face view illustrating a propeller mechanism embodying, the invention,

Fig. 2, an enlarged detail section, partially in elevation, illustrating a portion of the propeller mechanism,

Fig. 3, a top plan view corresponding with Fig. 4, a section taken on line 44 of Fig 3,

ig. '5, a detail view illustrating the connection employed in adjusting the propeller blades,

Fig. 6, a plan view of the propeller proper,

Fig. 7, a detail section illustrating the mounting of the outer end of one of the propeller blades,

Fig. 8, a section at right angles to Fig. 7,

Fi 9, a view of the dash or mounting boar illustratin means for controlling the ad'ustments of t e propeller blades,

ig. 10, a transverse section through said mounting board, and, i

Fig. 11, another transverse section through said mounting board.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a tubular casing 13 havin two tubular shafts 14 rotatably mounted t erein, in axial alinement with each other. At its inner end each of the shafts 14 carries a bevel gear 15 meshing with a bevel gear 16 on the end of a tubular shaft 17 projecting centrally into the casing 13 from one side thereof, and whereby shafts 14 will be rotated in opposite directions by shaft 17, while permittin of angular adjustments of casin 13 on s aft 17. At its outer end each of t e shafts 14 carries a hub or head 18, having three tangentiall arranged bearin s 19 therein. A bearmg ead 20 is rotatab y mounted in each of the bearings 19 and carries a propeller blade 21 having a stud or. pintle 22 at its outer end,

pivoted in a correspondin rim 23, as shown, and whereb .the 'angu'larity or pitch of the propeller b ades 21 is rendered adjustable.

, Each of the bearing heads 20 carries a rocker arm 24 connected by a link 25 with a corre-' sponding arm 26 on a central head 27 secured to, the end of an operating shaft 28,

slidably mounted in the corresponding tubular shaft 14. The respective shafts 28 are swiveled together at their inner ends so as to permit of rotation in opposite. direction but to compel longitudinal movement together. A grooved collar 29 is fixed to the shafts 28 at their juncture, and a roller 30 is arranged to travel in thegroove in said col-. lar. The roller 30 is. mounted at the inner end of a pin or arm 31 mounted eccentrically on' the inner end of a shaft 32 carrying a worm wheel 33 meshing with a w rm 34, arranged to be driven by a fiexibl haft 35, as shown, said shaft 35'permitting of angular adjustmentsoftlie casing 13, as will be readily understood.

The other end of flexible shaft 35 is operatively connected with a rigid shaft 36 mounted on a dash or controlling board 37, as indicated.

Shaft -361carries a worm wheel 38 meshing with a worm 39 on a shaft 40 ex-' tending transversely through board 37 and equipped with a. crank 41 whereby said shaft 40 may be operated to adjust the angularity or pitch of the propeller blades 21 while in or out of operation, as desired.

Shaft 40 is also connected by a gear 42 with a gear 43 on a motor shaft- 44 driven by a reversible air motor 45. Motor-45 is s 46 from a' supplied with air through pipe two-way valve 47, supplied with compressed air through a pipe 48 from a compressed air tank 49, the arrangement bein such that by manipulations of valve 47 t e motor 45 may be rotated or driven in either direction, as desired.

rocker arm 51 on a rocker shaft 52 on the control board 37, said rocker shaft 52 being Valve 47 is connected by a link 50'with a.

7 provided with an operating handle 53, as insecured to board 37 as shown. Rod 56 car- 'the grooved collar 59 an and effective one for the pn ries a finger 58 operating in a grooved collar 59 on a shaft 60 also mounted on board 37. Shaft 60 carries a screw-threaded hu b or enlargement 61 threaded in a bracket 62 secured to board 37., as best shown in Fig.

1, and shaft 60 is mounted in axial alinement with shaft 36, as shown. The ad'acent ends of shafts 36 and 60 are eguippe with face plates 61 carrying pins 62 operating loosely throu h holes in the opposite plates, and where y shafts 60 and 36 will be caused to rotate together, but shaft 60 is free for loniitudinal movement with respect to shaft 36.

lever 63 is also operativel connected with mental gear 64 meshing with a segmental gear 65 on. a shaft 66 carrying an. indicator finger 67 and arranged in a casing 68 equipped with a graduated scale 69, as shown. By this arrangement, when the motor 45 is thrown into operation by means of the handle 53, and the propeller blades 21 have been adjusted through a predetermined angle, shaft 60,ro'tati with shaft .36 and traveling longitudinal y by virtue ofthe screwthreads 61 will move rocker arm 54 to rock theshaft 52 to close the valve 47, thus preventing too great angular adjustments of the propeller blades in either direction. The indicator finger 67 and its cooperating parts constitute a degree meter to indicate and register the degreeof angularity of the propeller blades for the guidance of the operator.

The construction set forth isespecially adapted for use on airships, where it is he quently desirable to ad ust or vary the thrust of effect of propellers while the sameare in operation or are beingangularly ad- 'usted to vary the direction of their thrust.

he specific arrangement of parts is a simple While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying'my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without depanting' from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but

I desire to avail myself ofsuch variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described'my invention, what I claim, as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In, apparatus of the class described a bladeivoted to permit change of pitch thereof? both power driven and manually carries a seg ads, and means to automatically limit the extent of operation of said first mentioned means.

2. In apparatus of the class described a blade fpivoted to permit change of pitch thereo means to change the pitch of said blade, means to automaticall tent of operation of said rst mentioned means, said automatic means having two c0- operating rotatable alined shafts, one of limit the exwhich is held against lon 'tudinal movement,

and the other of whic movable.

-3. In apparatus of the class described a is longitudinally plurality of blades, each pivoted to permit change of pitch" thereof, power driven means to change the. pitch of said blades while in operation and movable means to automatically limit the extent'of operation of said first mentioned means.

In apparatus of the class described a blade ivoted to permit change of pitch "thereo means to change the pitch of said blade comprising a motor and a air of connected rotatable shafts one of w ich is longitudinally movable with relation to the other, means on said movable shaft to im-- part longitudinal movement to it when it is rotated, and means operated by the longitudinal movement of said movable shaft to limit the extent of operation of said motor.

5. A propeller mechanism comprising a drivin shaft; a tubular casing mounted on the on of said driving shaft, said shaft extending thereinto; hollow shafts in said casing in alinement with each other andperpendicular to said drivin shaft; bevel ears connecting said hollow is afts with said riving shaft; adjusting shafts within said hollow shafts and swivelled t'ogether; means for longitudinally moving said adjusting shafts;

an en s of said hollow shafts; and operative connections between said propeller blades and said adjusting shafts, substantially as described.

6. A propeller mechanism comprisin a longitudinally moving said adjusting shafts a hub at the outer end of each of said hollow shafts; bearing hubs movabl mounted substantially tangentially in said ubs; propeller blades securedto said bearing hubs;

and an operative connection between said adjusting shafts and said bearing hubs, substantially as described.

7. A propellerv having'a blade pivoted to larly adjustable propeller blades at the change the pitch thereof, a motor connected to operate said blade, and automatically acting means for limiting the extent of operation of said motor to prevent too great angular adjustment of the blade in either direction, substantially as described.

8; A propeller having a plurality of blades pivotally mounted to permit of changing the pitch thereof; a motor connected to adjust said blades simultaneously; and means for automatically limiting the extent of operation of said motor to prevent too great angular adjustment of the'blade in either direction, substantially as described.

9. A propeller having a. plurality of blades, pivotally mounted to. permit of changing the pitch thereof, in combination with a motor connected to adjust said blades simultaneously, and means for automatically cut-ting off the operating force from the motor.

10. An air screw having a plurality of blades pivotally mounted to permit of changing the pitch thereof, a motor connected to adjust said blades, simultaneously, means for automatically and manually limlting the extent of operation of said motor to prevent too great angular adjustment of the blades in either direction, and means associated with said first mentioned means to indicate the amount of angular adjustment of said blades, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a propeller for aircrafts having an adjustable propeller blade, of a motor arranged to ad ust said blade, and means operatively actuated by said motor-to indicate the degree of adjustment of said blade, whereby the angularity of said blade may be adjusted a small amount with precision or a larger amount quickly to enable perfect control in aircraft operation.

12. The combination with a propeller having adjustable propeller blades, of a motor arranged to adjust said blades; a degree meter operatively connected with said motor to indicate the degree of adjustment of said blades; and means for automatically limiting the extent of operation of said motor to prevent too great angular adjustment of the blade in either direction, substantially as described.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a blade pivoted to permit change of pitch thereof, means to change the pitch of said blade, means to automatically limit the extent of operation of said first mentioned means, said automatic means comprising two co-operating rotating alined shafts, one of which is held against longitudinal movement, and the other of which is longitudinally movable, and connections between the said shafts and the pitch changing means.

In testimony w ereof I have signed my name to this s'peci cation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. LEINWEBER.

Witnesses: JOSHUA B. H. Porrs, HELEN F. LILLIS. 

